As we watch the demise of the newspaper in America amid the rise of blogs, it should be noted that the first newspaper published in America, “Publick Occurrences” in the year 1690, WAS BOTH A NEWSPAPER AND A BLOG. Publick Occurrences consisted of 3 pages of print articles with a blank back page for readers [...]

You can brand anything.  Over 50 years ago, the Butterball turkey was introduced, and for 40 of those years once it achieved broad geographical distribution, it has been the number one brand of turkey, even though it has been owned by different companies. Number one for 40 years.  No Thanksgiving should ever pass without brand-interested [...]

A restaurant in Chandler, Arizona, represents virtually every principle of Killer Branding.  Called the Heart Attack Grill, it features really good tasing food, that is absolutely bad for your arteries.  The alignment is awesome from the Single Bypass Burger (one patty) to the Quadruple Bypass burger (four patties).  Burgers don’t even have lettuce.  In fact, [...]

Can a woman’s handbag be a Killer Brand?  Of course.  Anything can become a Killer Brand.  The Chanel Bag, known as the 2-55 bag because it was first designed in February, 1955, is a true Killer Brand. It was built on the expecation that if you owned one and used it, you distinguished yourself as [...]

We have had numerous questions about our opinion on the new Microsoft advertising featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld.  Since we tend to strong opinions, I have always tried to remember the dictum that nothing is ever as good as it seems and nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Well readers, this advertising [...]

Clarins has introduced a new product for jet lag.  Finally someone addresses the insidious aging effects of flying.  But they have complicated this product with a lengthy, and to me, contradictory name. The product is called anti jet lag relief emergency booster.  I think “anti” jet lag and “relief” are contradictory.  Are they guarding against [...]

Since the real estate market is in the pits, its a good time to look at someone who has actually adopted Killer Brand strategy in the housing market.  There is a builder in Atlanta ($250k to $1M+) who understands branding because he started his career as the Assistant Brand Manager on Minute Rice.  He went [...]

WORDS ARE SO IMPORTANT.  Never forget that the difference in one word in a headline or in copy can sometimes spell the difference in success or failure. My wife and I received a direct mail piece last week that just left us stunned and cold-feeling.  It was from a group of financial advisors.  The headline [...]

Every time I stay in a hotel and find Neutrogena French-Milled soap, I cringe. When I was at Neutrogena we tightened our strategy, and built the market value of the brand from $15 Million to $88 Million in three years. Eight years later on the same strategy, Neutrogena sold out to Johnson & Johnson for [...]

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about Wilson’s, the Leather People, beginning to show non-leather goods in their stores.  A reader has informed me that Wilson’s is changing all of their stores over to Studio branded stores and will carry a range of non-leather products. Regardless of the business need to move away [...]